Job Specification & Terms and Conditions
Job Title
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Endocrinology
(Grade Code: 2632)
Competition
Reference
NRS0300
Closing Date
12noon on Tuesday 24th May, 2011
Proposed Interview
Date
Taking up
Appointment
Location of Post
Week commencing 20th June 2011
Organisational Area
Details of Service
Health Service Executive South
The Endocrinology service at WRH is delivered through a
multidisciplinary team which provides services to both
inpatients and outpatients. The service includes Adult,
Paediatric and Maternity patients.
Functions
1. The CNS Endocrinology will work with other medical,
surgical and paediatric teams and with other staff in the acute
hospital, including nursing, paramedical and other care staff.
He/she will also liaise with public health nursing staff,
community and practice nurses and GPs.
2. The CNS will operate within the key roles and
responsibilities set out and will have a key role in developing
Endocrinology care within the context of an evolving service.
Reporting
Relationship
Reports and Responsible to:
To be decided at Job Offer Stage
Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH)
The person appointed will be:
Professionally accountable to the Director of Nursing or
designated officer
Clinically
accountable
to
the
Waterford
Regional
Endocrinology Consultants
Other Key Working Relationships:
The person appointed will also work with other medical,
surgical and paediatric teams and with other staff in the acute
hospital, including nursing, paramedical and other care staff.
He/she will also liaise with public health nursing staff,
community and practice nurses and GPs.
Purpose of the Post
As a member of the interdisciplinary team, the CNS
Endocrinology will provide nursing expertise, education and a
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management service to patients, their relatives and nursing
staff in all areas of this speciality, in the promotion of a patient
centred approach to patients and their families under the
clinical direction of the Consultant Endocrinologists, in line with
National standards.
The successful candidate will have a key role in developing
Endocrinology care within the context of an evolving service.
Principle Duties and
Responsibilities
Clinical Focus
The CNS will:
 Articulate and demonstrate the concept of nursing and
midwifery specialist practice within the framework of
relevant legislation, the Scope of Nursing & Midwifery
Practice Framework (ABS 2000), The Code of
Professional Conduct (ABA 2000) and Guidelines for
Midwives (ABA 2001)
 Perform nursing / midwifery assessments and plan
and initiate care and treatment modalities within
agreed interdisciplinary protocols to achieve patient /
client centred outcomes; evaluate their effectiveness
 Identify health promotion priorities in the area of
specialist practice
 Implement health promotion strategies for patient /
client groups in accordance with the public health
agenda
Patient Advocate
The CNS will:
 Enable patients / clients, families and communities to
participate in decisions about their health needs
 Articulate and represent patient / client interests in
collaboration with the multidisciplinary team
 Implement changes in healthcare service in response
to patient / client need and service demand
Education and Training
The CNS will:
 Provide
mentorship,
preceptorship,
teaching,
facilitation and professional supervisory skills for
nurses and midwives and other healthcare workers
 Educate patients / clients, families and communities in
relation to their healthcare needs in the specialist area
of practice
 Identify own continuing professional development
needs and engage accordingly
Audit and Research
The CNS will:
1. Identify, critically analyse, disseminate and integrate
nursing / midwifery and other evidence into the area of
specialist practice
 Initiate and participate in evaluations and
audits
 Use the outcomes of audit to improve service
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
provision
Contribute to service planning and budgetary
processes through use of audit data and
specialist knowledge
Consultant
The CNS will:
 Provide leadership in clinical practice and act as a
resource and role model for specialist practice
 Generate and contribute to the development of clinical
standards of practice and guidelines
 Use specialist knowledge to support and enhance
generalist nursing / midwifery practice
Health & Safety
The CNS will:
 Contribute to the development of policies, procedures,
guidelines and safe professional practice and adhere
to relevant legislation, regulations and standards
 Have a working knowledge of HIQA Standards as they
apply to the role / care setting, for example, Standards
for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention
and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections,
Hygiene Standards etc.
Management
The CNS will:
 Provide an efficient, effective, and high quality service,
respecting the needs of each patient / client
 Effectively manage time and caseload in order to meet
the needs of a changing and developing service
 Continually monitor the service to ensure it reflects
current needs
 Implement and manage identified changes

Ensure that confidentiality in relation to patient /client
records is maintained
 Maintain accurate and up to date statistics of the
service provided, including audit of patient / client
contacts
 Represent the specialist service at local, national and
international meetings as required
 Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records /
data on all matters pertaining to the planning,
management, delivery and evaluation of this service in
line with HSE requirements
Eligibility Criteria
Qualifications and /
or Experience
The above Job Description is not intended to be a
comprehensive list of all duties involved and
consequently, the post holder may be required to perform
other duties as appropriate to the post which may be
assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to
the development of the post while in office.
Candidates must:On the latest date for receipt of application forms for the post
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
Be registered in the Relevant Division of the Register
of Nurses kept by An Bord Altranais or be entitled to
be so registered

Have at least 5 years post registration experience of
which 2 must be in the specialty or related area

Have the ability to practice safely and effectively
fulfilling his/her professional responsibility within his /
her scope of practice

Have undertaken formal recognised post registration
education relevant to his/her area of specialist practice
at higher diploma level or equivalent (Level 8) on the
NQAI framework

Have the clinical, managerial and administrative
capacity to properly discharge the functions of the role
And
And
And
And
Age
Age restrictions shall only apply to a candidate where he/she is
not classified as a new entrant (within the meaning of the
Public Service Superannuation Act, 2004). A candidate who is
not classified as a new entrant must be under 65 years of age.
Health
A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully
competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to
the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a
reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient
service.
Character
Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be
of good character
Essential Skills or
Competencies
Candidates must demonstrate:
 practitioner competence and professional credibility –
demonstrates a high level of clinical knowledge to
effectively carry out the duties and responsibilities of
the role
 the ability to lead on clinical practice and service
quality
 promotion of evidence-based decision making;
evidence-based clinical knowledge in making
decisions regarding patient / client care
 the ability to plan and manage resources effectively
 effective analytical, problem solving and decision
making skills
 strong interpersonal skills including the ability to build
and maintain relationships
 effective communication and influencing skills
 initiative and innovation in the delivery of service
 resilience and composure
 openness to change
 integrity and an ethical stance

a
commitment
to
continuing
professional
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





Short-listing
Code of Practice
development
the ability to relate nursing research to nursing practice
knowledge of quality assurance practices and their
application to nursing procedures
awareness of relevant legislation and policy e.g.
legislation relevant to the service area, health and
safety, infection control etc.
awareness of current and emerging nursing strategies
and policies in relation to the clinical/ designated area
awareness of the Health Service Transformation
Programme
a willingness to develop IT skills relevant to the role
Applicants may be short-listed for interview based on
information supplied in the application form at the closing date
or in other specified assessment documentation
Criteria for short listing are based on the requirements of the
post as outlined in the post specific requirements, duties, skills,
competencies and/ or knowledge section of this job
specification and the information supplied in the competency
based application form if used.
The Health Service Executive will run this campaign in
compliance with the Code of Practice prepared by the
Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA).
Codes of practice are published by the CPSA and are
available on www.hse.ie/eng/staff/jobs in the document posted
with each vacancy entitled “Code of Practice, information for
candidates or on www.cpsa.ie
The reform programme outlined for the Health Services may impact on this role and as
structures change the job description may be reviewed.
This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post
holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic
review with the employee concerned.
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Health Services Executive
Terms and Conditions of Employment
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Tenure
The appointment is whole-time, permanent and pensionable.
The holder of each office under the Health Service Executive will hold
her/his appointment under Section 22 of the Health Act 2004. He/She
will hold his/her office on such terms and conditions and shall perform
such duties as the Chief Executive Officer from time to time
determines, or as are assigned by any other officer authorised by the
Chief Executive Officer subject to any direction of the Minister for
Health and Children in these matters.
Remuneration
Working Week
The Salary scale for the post is:
€43,624 x 8 annual increments to €51,874
Payment will be made by the Pay Path System. Incremental Credit
may be granted in respect of previous approved service.
The standard working week applying to the post is
37.5 hours weekly
HSE Circular 003-2009 “Matching Working Patterns to Service
Needs (Extended Working Day / Week Arrangements); Framework
for Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016” applies. Under
the terms of this circular, all new entrants and staff appointed to
promotional posts from Dec 16th 2008 will be required to work
agreed roster / on call arrangements as advised by their line
manager. Contracted hours of work are liable to change between
the hours of 8am-8pm over seven days to meet the requirements for
extended day services in accordance with the terms of the
Framework Agreement (Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards
2016).
Annual Leave
Superannuation
The annual leave associated with the post is 24- 28days
0-5 years service
25 days
5-10 years service
26 days
More than 10 years service
28 days
Membership of the HSE Employee Superannuation Scheme applies
to this appointment.
Existing Members who transferred to the HSE on 1st January 2005
pursuant to Section 60 of the Health Act 2004 are entitled to
superannuation benefit terms under the HSE Scheme which are no
less favourable to those to which they were entitled at 31 st
December 2004.
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Probation
Appointees to posts in the Mental Health Services which formerly
attracted fast accrual of service should note that the terms of
Section 65 of the Mental Treatment Act 1945 do not apply to New
Entrant Public Servants as defined by Section 12 of the Public
Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004.
Every appointment of a person who is not already a permanent officer
of the Health Service Executive or of a Local Authority shall be subject
to a probationary period of 12 months.
Protection of
Persons Reporting
Child Abuse Act
19981
This post is one of those designated in accordance with Section 2 of
the Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act, 1998. You will
remain a designated officer for the duration of your appointment in this
post or for the duration of your appointment to such other post as is
included in the categories specified in the Ministerial Direction. Such
officers will, on receiving a report of child abuse, formally notify the
Senior Social Worker in the community care area in which the child is
living.
Ethics in Public
Office
Applicable to posts which are remunerated at or above the minimum
point of the Grade VIII salary scale (€ 67,567 as at 01.03.2008) or
Senior Positions remunerated at or above €173,217 as at 1st March
2008
Health & Safety
Have a working knowledge of HIQA Standards as they apply to the
role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the
Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene
Standards etc
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